Unashamed

Rom. 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Paul was unashamed of the gospel. His life proved it on so many levels. He would share with anyone anywhere. He would limit his personal freedoms if it meant someone would come to know Jesus. In Rom. 1:1, Paul stated that he was set apart for the gospel of God, a gospel that had been promised beforehand through the prophets concerning His Son, a son who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by His resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of His name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. Wow! There you have it, the full scope of the gospel. Paul had established his apostleship with these people. Rejoicing in the great bond he had because of Christ, he wanted to share his heart with them so that they could encourage each other. 

Like he does in other epistles, he began with a prayer thanking God for these believers whose faith is proclaimed world-wide. His prayers are the stuff of which we can pray for one another. The very things that he prayed so many years ago are the same things we need to pray today. His heart wanted to see them to impart a spiritual gift to strengthen them--that is to mutually encourage each other. How great is that! Whenever believers meet this should happen. What a bond we have in Christ! Paul was eager to preach in Rome, to share the gospel with the Greeks, the barbarians, the wise, and the foolish. Christ is all and in all.  

It is with this introduction that he stated the great verse that I memorized as a child. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Do I have those same feelings for the gospel? Is spreading the message foremost in my thoughts? Do I want to encourage other believers when I am with them? Like Paul, I am set apart for the gospel. Is this calling seen clearly in my life?

Father,

I am unashamed of the gospel, yet fear strikes a note in my heart. Take that out of me. Open the doors for me to share the gospel of Jesus. 

In Jesus name,

Amen